


But they weren't exactly together

by barlowbarlow



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Idk how to write tags, Lots of kissing, M/M, No SQUIP, Seven Minutes In Heaven, Target, They get caught, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, almost-established relationship, boyf riends - Freeform, but nothing explicit, falling asleep in the car, implied sexual stuff, it's weird - Freeform, they kiss other people?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 23:23:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14295702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barlowbarlow/pseuds/barlowbarlow
Summary: It had been Rich's idea from the beginning. In fact, Jeremy hadn't even wanted to go, but Michael had promised to buy him a slushie after school each day for the next week if he came. So, he reluctantly agreed.He was regretting that now as the lights in the building slowly began to turn off with a dull buzzing noise, one after another until all of them were in complete darkness. They were planning to spend the night in target (for some reason. Jeremy didn't understand it.) along with four of their friends.(In other words, Jeremy and Michael talk stuff out in a target dressing room ft. Richjake and a little pinkberry.)





	But they weren't exactly together

**Author's Note:**

> HI!! This is very shitty and self indulgent- don't go in w/ high expectations please lol. Also this is sort of a continuation of Four Times They Thought About Kissing and One Time They Actually Did (I don't know if thats the title its something like that) which is a fic I wrote a few weeks ago. Anyway!! Enjoy, or don't. Idk. Love you all!!  
> xxx

It had been Rich's idea from the beginning. In fact, Jeremy hadn't even wanted to go, but Michael had promised to buy him a slushie after school each day for the next week if he came. So, he reluctantly agreed. 

He was regretting that now as the lights in the building slowly began to turn off with a dull buzzing noise, one after another until all of them were in complete darkness. They were planning to spend the night in target (for some reason. Jeremy didn't understand it.) along with four of their friends. (They'd invited Christine and Jenna, but Christine said it was a bad idea and Jenna was out of town.) 

Jeremy was pissed. "Why the  _ fuck _ are we doing this, Michael?" He whispered harshly, fidgeting uncomfortably in his crouching position. He was getting fed up and anxious, but they had to keep quiet until the security guard had gone around for his last check. 

"'Cause, it's fun. Don't worry. It's gonna be fine." Michael whispered back. Jeremy opened his mouth to protest, but Michael leaned over pressed a kiss to his cheek. He snapped his mouth shut, turning pink and glancing down. Michael chuckled- that always seemed to make him chill for a few minutes.

Jeremy and Michael had an odd relationship. They'd recently gone from best friends to..... something more, when Jeremy had admitted that he had feelings for Michael on rainy day after school. They had spent all their time together before, but after that day they'd been completely inseparable.

But they weren't exactly  _ together _ .

They'd been avoiding that conversation, ignoring people's questions and pretending it didn't matter. The truth was, Michael wanted nothing more than to call Jeremy his boyfriend. Nothing more than to hold his hand under the table at lunch. Nothing more than to just know that Jeremy was his. Nothing more. But Jeremy was also his best friend. And they were in high school. And he was so, so afraid of scaring him off. So for now they were just... Something. More than friends, less than dating. Michael told everyone it was ok, but it honestly fucking sucked. Jeremy seemed happy with it, though, and that was what mattered to him. Jeremy came first. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if his best friend of so many years sometimes felt the same. It still seemed impossible to him that Jeremy could even feel  _ anything _ for him other than friendship, but he did. So maybe it was possible. 

Maybe. But probably not. 

There was a flash of light through a crack in the dressing room doorway and Jeremy sort of cowered into Michael's side. They both held their breath, Jeremy reaching for Michael's hand. Michael would've probably swooned at both of these things had he not been preoccupied. The security guard was passing the dressing rooms, and probably looking inside. Michael sighed in relief as the light passed and darkness returned to the room.

That's when he heard Rich sneeze from the dressing room next door. 

He froze as the light returned, getting closer and closer, they were definitely going to get caught-

and then it was gone. 

Michael and Jeremy waited with bated breath for a couple minutes before they relaxed, eventually opening the door when they heard the others beginning to talk outside. 

"There they are." Jake said with a smile, pointing as the two emerged, blinking from the flashlights. The other four were already out, sitting on the floor surrounded by racks of clothing. Someone had grabbed lamps off of another shelf and plugged them in around the place they were all sitting, casting weird shadows across everyone's faces. 

"Aww, they're holding hands!" Brooke said, and Jeremy immediately dropped Michael's hand.

_ Ouch. _

He hadn't even realized they were still doing that. Michael plastered on a sheepish grin to cover up the feeling of Jeremy letting go so fast.

"You almost got us caught, Rich." Michael said, chuckling as he and Jeremy sat down. "But I didn't!" Rich replied with a proud smile. Jake snorted. 

They sat like that for about an hour, bantering back and forth about meaningless things, gossiping (Jenna was an endless font of knowledge in that department) and eventually passing around beers. Jeremy kept throwing his head back laughing in a way that made Michael dizzy. He kept having to look away. Chloe and Brooke were whispering about something. After Jake had chugged a beer and there was an empty glass bottle, Chloe got everyone's attention.

"We're gonna play a game." She announced, grabbing the bottle from a confused Jake. "Seven minutes in heaven." Brooke said, smiling at Chloe. So that's what they'd been discussing. "Is that okay?" Chloe added, eyes sweeping across everyone's faces.

Michael felt a jolt of nerves and excitement. There were only six people there. He had a one in five chance of getting Jeremy.

_ Seven minutes alone in the dark with Jeremy? _

"T-totally!" Michael stuttered, and he wanted to slap himself. Why did his voice have to crack like that? 

"Sweet. Let's do it." Jake said, and Chloe looked around for any sort of objection.

No one else said anything.

She smiled victoriously. She loved games like these and was always the one to officiate them at parties (and she went to  _ a lot _ of parties.) They were already sort of sitting in a circle, so Chloe just leaned in and placed the bottle in the center.

"Who wants to go first?" 

The question hung in the air and Michael stared at the ground. He didn't know why he was so nervous. Maybe he was afraid Jeremy would get someone else. Maybe he was afraid he would get someone else. Maybe he was afraid that he would get Jeremy. That thought was exciting and terrifying. They hadn't done anything more than light, fluffy kisses. They'd barely even used tongue, which sounded like no big deal. But it kind of was.

Michael's heart hammered.

"I'll go." Said Rich, tearing Michael out of his anxious thoughts. There were whoops and snickers across the circle. Rich leaned forward with a cocky smile, giving the bottle a hard spin. He'd definitely done this before. The bottle landed on Brooke, who giggled as Rich raised an eyebrow. He stood up before helping Brooke up too, and he lead her to one of the dressing rooms in the back, shutting the door behind them quickly. Michael whistled at them and Chloe yelled 'Go!', starting the timer on her phone. 

There was a moment of silence, everyone craning their necks to try and eavesdrop. There was nothing- either their voices were too muffled or they weren't talking at all...

Jeremy giggled randomly at the silence, and the sound set off butterflies in Michael's stomach. God, he fucking loved that laugh. Jeremy looked embarrassed, though, like he hadn't meant to do that. It was adorable. He glanced to the side, but instead of ogling at Jeremy like he wanted to, he noticed Jake. Jake had never been good at hiding his emotions, and since he was normally so happy, it was not hard to tell when something was off. And something was definitely off. Jake loved these games most of the time, but he looked... Angry? Dejected? Bitter? Michael couldn't quite tell, but he definitely wasn't happy. Chloe was on her phone, obviously still listening for any movement from Rich and Brooke, but it was hopeless. Even if they had been speaking, those dressing rooms were far enough back that the security guard hadn't heard Rich sneeze, so they probably had no chance. Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed out of boredom.

"So," She prompted, turning to Jake. "This must be weird, since you like him." 

Oh.  _ Oh.  _

Things clicked into place for Michael and he shared a glance with Jeremy. He could tell they were thinking the same thing. 

_ He's not mad. He's jealous. _

Jake was suddenly flustered. Humorously flustered. "Wh- I don't- what are you talking about? I don't like him. I mean I  _ like _ him but I don't like-like him." He sputtered, glancing back at the door that the two had disappeared behind. There were three minutes left.

"Yeah, sure, mister 'Rich did this, Rich said that, Rich looks sooo gooood in muscle tanks-'" He cut off her mocking with an indignant glare. "Shut up, Chloe! I don't- I just- it's not a big deal. And he's straight, so..." Jake's voice trailed off. 

So he wasn't exactly denying it. But he thought Rich was straight.

"You're kidding." Michael said in disbelief. "Has he really never..." Michael looked down- He didn't want to out Rich, but he was almost sure he'd heard Rich talk about this in front of Jake before.

"Uh, no he's fucking not. I'm not sure where you got that idea, but I can assure you Richard Gorinski is not straight." Jeremy said, scoffing. "I've watched him talk about liking guys in front of you  _ multiple times."  _ He added- Jake looked shocked, his eyes wide. There was another beat of silence.

"I thought..... So..... he wasn't just joking..." Jake mumbled, staring down at his hands. Michael looked at Chloe, unsure of what to say, and she was about to speak, but the timer went off. 

Jake shot a panicked glance at all of them. Michael bit his lip. What was he supposed to do?

"Brooke! Rich! Come out, time's up!" Chloe shouted. No response. 

She rolled her eyes, sighed, and stood up, striding to the door and giving a hard knock. Michael glanced at Jake again. He looked overwhelmed. 

"When you two are done fucking, could you come out? We've got a game to play." Chloe called through the door, annoyed. A moment later a sheepish looking Brooke and a proudly grinning Rich appeared, and Jeremy laughed again. Rich's hair was sticking out wildly and he had a hickey high on his neck. Brooke's cardigan kept slipping off her shoulders as she tried to subtly fix her own hair. Michael cast another quick glance at Jake. He didn't even look jealous anymore. Just sad. Michael's heart sank for him.

The three returned to their seats in the circle and Chloe announced that it was Jeremy's turn. Michael gulped. This was going to either be wonderful, shitty, or awkward. Maybe all three. He braced himself as an anxiously fidgeting Jeremy reached forward to spin the bottle. There was a sharp intake of breath. 

It landed on Jake.

It took everything in Michael not to outwardly flinch. So this was going to be shitty.

Of course. Of-fucking-course it was Jake Dillinger that would be making out with Jeremy in a closet. Jake was, like, the perfect guy. He was tall, toned, funny, and casually cool in a way that Michael could never be. And he wasn't even straight, which meant that him and Jeremy might actually.... do something. Michael quietly brooded as he watched his best friend nervously follow Jake into the dressing room. Jeremy wouldn't meet his stare. 

Brooke shouted "Have fun, boys!" At them with a laugh, and Michael rolled his eyes in exasperation. (he wouldn't admit it, but he was more anxious than mad.) Chloe shot him a look. "Chill out, Mell. It's not like they're gonna have sex or anything." She said, starting the timer as the door shut behind them. Michael nodded and sighed, unconvinced. "Don't worry, headphonth." Rich said, trying to sound reassuring, though he himself sounded a little off. (He'd tried to say "headphones", a nickname he'd always had for Michael, but his lisp had come back again. It did that sometimes.) "Jake's actually a big baby when it comes to this shit. I would know." Michael offered Rich a weak but grateful smile. 

But he  _ did  _ worry. He knew he should have stopped himself, but he started to imagine things... Things like Jeremy blushing up at Jake. (He was the only one of their friends taller than 'Tall Ass' Jeremy) Jake letting his big hands rest of Jeremy's hips. Jake pushing Jeremy against the wall and-

Michael pushed his glasses up on to his forehead and buried his face in his hands. He needed to stop torturing himself like that. Maybe they were just talking! Michael exhaled with a sigh. It was too quiet for them to be' just talking'. Perhaps this was how Jake felt when Brooke and Rich went in there. This game was suddenly not fun. At all. He knew he was the one that had dragged Jeremy here, but Michael wanted _ out _ .

"Hey. Michael. Buddy. Look up."

Michael glanced up at Rich, pulling his glasses back down. 

"It's gonna be okay. I know how you feel. Don't freak out." Rich added, looking genuinely concerned, not a frequent thing for him. Chloe looked up from her phone at Michael sympathetically for a brief moment. "You don't have to keep playing if you don't want-" Brooke began, but Michael cut her off. "It's fine. I'm fine." 

"Okay...." Brooke said, suspiciously, her voice trailing off. She obviously didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything else. There was an awkward beat of silence, and then the timer on Chloe's phone went off. "Jeremy! Jake! Time's up!" She called.

_ Thank god. _

They came out without Chloe having to get up, so that was a good sign. And an even more relieving feeling washed over Michael as his eyes swept the two for any signs of.... anything. There were very very few, or they had done a great job covering them up. Jeremy looked just the same emerging as he had entering, except for the fact that he was smiling now, and his hair was kind of mussed up. So there was that. Michael felt some mix of puzzled, relieved, and wary. He wasn't quite sure yet. He didn't have much time to think, though, because the boys were sitting down and everyone was laughing and moving on. Michael relaxed a little, though, because he had another two turns before he would have to worry about who he would be kissing.

"My turn!" Chloe said with a bright and mischievous smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder quickly before leaning in and giving the bottle a quick spin. She, too, looked like she knew what was she doing. This was definitely not her first rodeo. 

Apparently, Michael had relaxed too soon, as well as completely forgotten how this game worked, because he was shocked when the bottle slowed to a stop facing him. 

_ Oh. Wait. Oh shit. _

He stared at the bottle with wide eyes for a moment before Chloe cleared her throat. "C'mon Mell." She said, laughing a little at the way he was gawking. "I don't bite."

She was already standing up, so Michael took her outstretched hand and let her pull him to his feet. He didn't seem to have control of his body as they walked hand in hand to the dark dressing room. Michael was starting to panic and he was sure Chloe could feel how sweaty his hands were. He shot one last anxious glance back, catching a glimpse of something like hurt in Jeremy's eyes. His gut jolted as the door shut. He heard a muffled shout about Brooke setting a timer and someone said, "Go!"

Michael scanned the room, letting eyes adjust and pushing up his glasses. It was too dark.

Chloe dropped his hand, snaking her arms around his neck in a way that sent chills up his spine. Not bad and not good.... just there. He exhaled shakily, resting his head back against the wall. There was a moment of quiet before Michael felt her leaning in. Panic churned in his stomach and he was suddenly aware of everything, of the dark and his quick breathing and his sweaty palms and- 

Chloe was kissing him. She was a good kisser, definitely not gentle like Jeremy, but Michael didn't feel anything other than anxious. It was just a kiss and nothing else. 

_ This isn't right.  _

He pulled away slowly, and he felt Chloe jerk back in confusion. 

"I'm- I'm sorry Chloe, I just- I can't-" "Hey. Hey. Chill. It's okay." Chloe said, bringing her hands down to grab Michael's again. The gesture was surprisingly comforting and sweet for her. "We don't have to do anything." She added. Michael nodded and exhaled shakily again, the hammering in his chest slowing just a little. "Is this about.... Jeremy?" She asked hesitantly, softly, and Michael could feel her gaze in the almost-pitch-black dark. He blinked at her and gulped before nodding again, still unable to really speak. She sighed in relief, giggling a little, puzzling Michael. "Good. Because I'm definitely not a bad kisser." She said, and Michael couldn't help but smile too. "You're a great kisser. I'm just gay." He explained, and she let out a snort of laughter. "Yeah." Michael exhaled again. He suddenly didn't feel so alone. 

"But with Jeremy..." Chloe began, still holding Michael's hands. He tensed. "You want to date him... right?" 

Michael's stomach flipped. He was silent for a minute. "Yes." He finally confirmed, and it felt like a weight had been lifted just saying it out loud. Chloe nodded. "That's what I thought. Have you talked to him about it? Like, at all?" 

Michael cast his eyes down, saying nothing. Chloe seemed to understand. "No. Okay. Well, you should. I know it seems freaky, and knowing him he might be scared, but I can promise you that you will be happier if you talk to him about it. You're just hurting yourself with this whole... 'on the fence' thing. Trust me." She said, and Michael considered that for a moment. He'd never realized how observant Chloe was, and he hated to admit that she was probably right about everything. "Plus, if he feels the same, which he probably does since he's kissed you multiple times, you two would be  _ such _ a cute couple. Like, gag-worthy cute." 

Michael chuckled at this, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah, that might be nice." He muttered. "Thanks, Chloe. Sorry for being so..." His voice trailed off.

"Anxious? Fidgety? Antisocial?" "Geez! I was just gonna say awkward!" Michael said, but he was laughing. They heard a faint alarm from outside of the room, signaling that seven minutes had passed. Chloe glanced down at her phone. "Damn. That was seven minutes?" She muttered, running a hand through her hair. "Come on out!" They heard Brooke shout, and Chloe gave Michael's hands a squeeze before she dropped them. 

They slowly emerged from the room, and Michael suddenly felt self conscious with all those eyes sweeping his body, trying to find even the slightest sign that he and Chloe had done anything. The two returned to their seats on either side of Brooke. Chloe was only down for a moment, though, because Brooke spun and landed on her. Chloe, whom Michael had never seen blush once was suddenly looking very flustered. It was puzzling, but he had things to think about right now. His turn was next. 

He finally spared a glance at Jeremy, and there was a tug in his chest when he saw him quickly look away. He'd been staring. Brooke and Chloe disappeared behind the door with a whoop from Rich and a shout from Jake to start- he was timing this time. "So. Headphones. D'you and Chloe make out?" Rich asked, earning a swat from Jake. "Let him keep his private business private!" Jake scolded, and Rich threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I was just asking! Also... you've got some lipstick on your face."

_ Fuck. No wonder they could tell.  _

Michael immediately brought a hand to his face and wiped his mouth in the back of his hand. There was a smudge of pink. He flinched a little, not looking at Jeremy. "Uh... we kissed once. But that was it." Rich nodded slowly like he was pondering this.

"Ok. So you didn't fuck."

"I'm gay, Rich."

"I know, I know, sorry. I was just, like.... I was curious."

Michael rolled his eyes, but he couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

The rest of those seven minutes crawled by with Michael's anticipation. He watched as Rich and Jake laughed at videos on Jake's phone, and he didn't look at Jeremy. Not once. He couldn't explain the energy between them but he was sure Jeremy could feel it too. He hoped that he could. 

"C'mon out, ladies!" Jake shouted, and after a moment the door opened. Brooke appeared first, with messy hair, smudged makeup, and a sheepish smile. Chloe appeared after her with rumpled clothes and a flushed face. Rich raised his eyebrows.

"Well  _ someone _ had a lot of fun." 

"Fuck off, Richard." Chloe grumbled, but Michael could tell she was happy. He noticed everyone's eyes on him.  _ Oh _ .

"It's your turn, Michael!" Brooke said with a smile, gesturing at the bottle. Michael took a deep breath and reached over. 

_ Breath. It's gonna be fine.  _

His spin was awkward and kind of shaky, displaying his obvious lack of experience,  but it was effective enough. Time felt like it was slowed down. It spun and spun and spun again and his heart was beating too hard and his hands were sweaty and-

Jeremy. The bottle stopped on Jeremy. 

His heart soared and dropped to his feet simultaneously. He vaguely registered cheers from Rich and Jake, giggles from Brooke, and a reassuring look from Chloe. Something along the lines of  _ You've got this. _

Michael stood up slowly and offered Jeremy his hand. Jeremy finally looked at him before taking it. The look made Michael's knees kind of turn to jelly- those big blue eyes were his weakness. They had been since eighth grade. 

Jeremy didn't let go of his hand this time. Before he could think his legs were carrying him across to the dressing room with Jeremy in tow, both of them silent and charged with some sort of electricity. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before, that wasn't the nerve wracking part- Michael knew this was his best chance to talk about everything with Jeremy, whether or not he was ready to. He glanced back at Chloe one more time before he shut the door. Suddenly, everything was dark and quiet. They stood there with bated breath for a brief moment. It was strange- they had never been like this before. Michael spoke first.

"Did you... Did you kiss Jake?" He blurted out, looking down as soon as the words left him. He hadn't meant to ask that, but now that it was out there he wouldn't deny that he really wanted to know. Jeremy was quiet for a moment, taken aback. Michael's eyes started to adjust to the darkness again.

"You kissed Chloe." He said, and while it wasn't an answer it implied enough. His chest felt tight. 

"Fair enough." Michael mumbled, the idea of Jake kissing Jeremy right where he stood leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Jeremy could read him like a book, though, even in the dark, and he softened when he felt a clammy hand grabbing his. 

"Hey. It was just a game. It didn't mean anything." He muttered, and Michael sighed. 

_ Just a game _ he reminded himself over and over. 

Jeremy wasted no time in placing his hands on Michael's shoulders, and before he could think they were both leaning in, Michael's hands finding Jeremy's face on reflex. Butterflies erupted in his stomach, just like they did that first time they had kissed. They leaned in just a little more and met in the middle, and warmth spread through Michael's whole body. He finally relaxed and melted into the kiss, all the anxiety falling away. Kissing Jeremy was so.... addictive, and warm and soft and intense and..... Distracting! Michael suddenly remembered what he'd promised himself he would do, and begrudgingly pulled back, leaving Jeremy confused. His chest was rising and falling fast as he caught his breath.

"I'm sorry- just- th- there's something I need to talk to you about." He sputtered, and it was like the warmth was drained again. He could feel Jeremy tensing up nervously, and dread pooled in his stomach, but he knew that if he thought about it too hard now he wouldn't be able to say anything. He couldn't stop tapping his hand against his knee frantically.

"W-What is it, Michael? Did I do something? Are you okay? Do you... not wanna do this anymore?" Jeremy asked quickly, and he sounded so small and panicked that Michael's heart sank. He reached for the hands in front of him that were almost shaking, squeezing them as comfortingly he could before collecting every ounce of courage he had to speak. "No, it's nothing like that.... It's just.... just.... Well, fuck, Jere. I-" 

He gulped. No turning back now. 

"I'm sorry. I just  _ really _ want you to be my boyfriend. Like.... it sounds so dumb, but I'm tired of just being... something. I don't want this to ruin stuff and if you don't want to, we really really don't have to and I just-" 

His frantic rambling was cut off by his hoodie being tugged hard before their were warm lips on his again, and Jeremy clung to him as tightly as he could in a way that made Michael want to cry for some reason. He rested his hands on Jeremy's hips and they kissed just a little longer before Jeremy finally pulled back. "Yes." He breathed, too winded from the drawn out kiss to really talk. "Oh my god, yes. Totally. I- yes!" He then said loudly, giggling with excitement before realizing how enthusiastic he'd sounded and looking down. He grinned sheepishly at the floor. 

Relief was an understatement- Michael's whole body melted. Jeremy Heere wanted to be his fucking boyfriend. Boyfriend! This could not be real life. He laughed too, now, his hands moving from Jeremy's hips to wrap around him. He didn't know why, but he hugged Jeremy, pulling him in tightly and burying his face in Jeremy's shoulder with his eyes squeezed shut. Jeremy was a little surprised for a moment, but soon he was hugging back just as tight, so close it almost hurt, clutching desperately at the back of Michael's red hoodie. They held each other like that for a minute, savoring how happy they were and how much they just fucking needed each other.

Eventually, they broke away, but only for a second, because in no time Michael's hands found Jeremy's face again, pulling him in for a searingly deep kiss. 

This one wasn't like the way they'd ever kissed before, and they both knew it- there was a hunger to it that made Michael feel hot all over. Before he knew it he had pushed Jeremy into the wall, moving his hands back down to rest possessively on his hips. It didn't matter to either of them that Michael was still a little shorter than Jeremy- he had him pinned against the wall with no protest whatsoever. Hands snaked into Michael's dark hair quickly and messily, and he felt a tug in his stomach in response. Michael couldn't see much in the dark, but he could hear and feel the effect he was having on Jeremy loud and clear, and it was driving him wild. This was so new and scary and amazing. Michael couldn't wait for more. It just felt so good. A whole new side of Jeremy was showing and it was pretty hot and pretty fucking incredible.

Things were escalating quickly- his knee was between Jeremy's legs and suddenly Jeremy's hands weren't in his hair anymore, and he was kissing Jeremy's neck instead of his lips and he felt his belt slowly shifting and he realized it was being unbuckled and holy shit holy shit this was amazing and suddenly-

There was a knock at the door.

"Uh, hey, guys... Time's up."

They both froze, staring at each other with wide eyes. They'd completely forgotten where they were. Jeremy let out a frustrated groan, letting his head fall back against the wall as he reluctantly re-buckled Michael's belt and pulled away. As much as Michael wanted to continue, he didn't have it in him to be anything other than elated right now, and that groan was absolutely adorable. He ran a hand through his hair in a half assed attempt to cover what they'd been doing, but in all honesty he didn't care if the whole world knew. In fact, he kind of wanted the whole world to know that Jeremy Heere was his boyfriend. Adrenaline was still rushing through him when they opened the door.

Jeremy hid his grinning face in his hands as they emerged to whoops, hollers, and laughter from Rich and Jake, squeals from Brooke, and a knowing smile from Chloe. She shot him a thumbs up as they sat down, and he felt heat rising in his cheeks as he returned it. They must have been pretty obvious. Michael glanced at Jeremy, blushing even more when he noticed his rumpled clothes, messy hair, pink cheeks and..... hickeys?  _ Oh my god. Oh my god. I gave Jeremy hickeys. _

It was a blur from there, and Michael was mostly just thinking about those seven minutes and the soonest he could be alone with Jeremy again. They glancing at each other from time to time, grinning sheepishly and looking away every time they met eyes. Michael felt like a little kid again- all of this was so new and thrilling. It was Jake's turn- the last one of the game because each person had gone at least once. Jake spun and got Rich, to everyone's delight, and they fumbled their way into the closet with giggles and shouts of encouragement from everyone else. 

Michael smiled and laughed absentmindedly as he watched Chloe and Brooke argue about random things that he didn't listen to, still looking over at Jeremy every chance he got. He thought he was being discreet, but Chloe must've noticed. 

"Mell, you've been ogling at your  _ boyfriend _ for, like, the whole-" 

Michael had been ready to protest, but she stopped suddenly, a serious expression crossing her face. "What-" "Shhh. Shut up." She hissed. "Listen." 

Michael strained his ears, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard someone. Rich and Jake were still in the closet, so that meant it was someone else. It was a voice, getting closer and clearer by the second.

"Hello? Somebody there? This is security, I won't hesitate to-" 

_ Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. _

Michael didn't listen to the rest, because now Chloe was up and grabbing Brooke and him by the arms. He jerked away from Chloe and pulled Jeremy up, who still looked dazed, before pulling them both to the dressing room door and swinging it open fast. He didn't have time to process that Rich had his shirt off and Jake had his pants down- he just told them as quietly and frantically as he could to  _ fucking run! _

With that he was off in a blur, Jeremy's hand clutched tightly in his- frantically sprinting to the closest exit, a back door about fifty feet away, not stopping even when a bright light flooded his vision and he heard someone shouting. The other four had disappeared as far as he knew, but he didn't have time to think about them. He was running on instinct right now. Soon he was shoving the metal door open and dragging Jeremy out, slamming it as hard as he could behind them. He scanned the darkness outside as quickly as he could, but he wasn't sure if the security guard was on their tail, so he just decided to keep running. They hit the parking lot and kept going, Michael vaguely registering Rich and Jake running somewhere ahead of them, Jake's pants still around his knees as he tried to wiggle them on and move simultaneously. Chloe and Brooke were nowhere to be found. 

After three more minutes of running (Or maybe ten. Adrenaline made time kind of a blur.) They finally slowed to a jog and then stopped, breathing hard. Michael's lungs were burning and his legs felt like jelly. He hadn't run like that since middle school. He stood bent over with his hands braced on his knees, wiping sweat from his forehead. Eventually he looked up to gather their surroundings. 

They were standing in the middle of a road under a streetlight. He recognized this road- they were only a block from where he'd parked his car. He glanced at his watch- it was one thirty five am. Finally he looked at Jeremy, who appeared just as winded as he felt, sweat causing his dark hair to stick to his face. Even in this state Michael thought he looked adorable, and a rush of relief and happiness made his brain all fuzzy. That, combined with the adrenaline and small amount of alcohol in his system, made him start to laugh. He couldn't help it. At first it was quiet, and then it grew louder until he was doubled over with it. Jeremy joined in right away- the pure absurdity of the situation was intoxicating. They laughed until there were tears in both of their eyes, finally stopping when their sides were burning with cramps from the combination of running and cackling their asses off. 

Michael stumbled over to the curb under the streetlight and Jeremy followed, sitting close and resting his head on Michael's shoulder when he sat. Michael grinned stupidly at that. They were quiet for a moment, the only sounds were the crickets and their still-labored breathing. Michael inched his hand over until it brushed against Jeremy's, who took notice and laced their fingers together lazily. 

"Wow." Michael breathed, his mind racing over everything that had just happened. It was overwhelming, and he didn't have it in him to process it all. 

"I know. Did you- did you see Rich and Jake?" Jeremy said. Michael suddenly remembered- he'd been too caught up at the time, but now that he could think... 

"Oh. My. God. Rich was totally gonna blow him." Michael muttered, earning a giggle from Jeremy. His stomach seemed to summersault. Michael knew he should call and check on the others, tell them that he and Jeremy were ok. But right now it felt like they were the only two people in the world on that dark night, and he wanted to keep it that way for just a little longer. They sat in a nice silence for another few moment before Jeremy spoke.

"Y'know, I've wanted to be... official... I mean, like..." Jeremy's voice trailed off and he looked down, his face a little pink. 

"Boyfriends?" Michael suggested, chuckling as Jeremy nodded and buried his face in his red hoodie.

"Uh... Yeah. Boyfriends. I've wanted that since you told me you liked me too. I was just... scared to ask." His voice was a little muffled, but it was clear enough, and Michael's heart melted. 

"I was scared too. But Chloe convinced me you wouldn't hate me. So we kinda owe her for that." Michael mumbled, his brain a little clouded because Jeremy's scent was all over suddenly so strong. "Give yourself some credit, Mikey. Besides..." He looked up so that he wasn't muffled anymore, his cheeks pink. "-We don't owe her for  _ everything _ that happened in that dressing room." His voice was barely above a whisper but the hair on Michael's neck stood up anyway, and he gulped hard. He let his mind wander back to the darkness of the dressing room and he felt another tug deep in his stomach. 

"You- did you like that stuff?" He asked just as quietly, and while it had been meant to sound kind of hot it just sounded insecure. Jeremy didn't mind, though, and he absentmindedly licked his lips before he answered. Michael felt hot all over again. The tension between them wasn't anxious tension anymore.

"Yeah... I kind of really really liked it." He said, and Michael exhaled with a hint of a smile. "Would you... ever want to do it.... Again sometime?" He mumbled, his voice sounding a little gravelly and a little more confident than before. Jeremy nodded fast before burying his face in Michael's shoulder again. Michael just smiled a little- he didn't blame him. This was all new and crazy territory for them. And it was really endearing how flustered he got. 

They sat like that for another five minutes, basking in each other before Michael glanced at his watch again and sighed. His eyelids were getting heavy and Jeremy was already half asleep on his shoulder. He gingerly pressed his lips to the top of Jeremy's head, breathing him in. Jeremy tensed up a little at this, his face going pink once again. Michael smiled before standing up and helping the taller boy up after him. He winced- he was already getting stiff and sore from all that running. Jeremy didn't let go of his hand as they walked slowly to his car, tripping a few times on crack in the sidewalk. Michael always caught him.

Michael was sleepy as he helped Jeremy into the passenger seat and then got into his own, rubbing his eyes. He closed the door and turned to look at Jeremy, who was staring out the window with unfocused eyes, his dark hair falling softly over his face and glowing in the fluorescence of the streetlight outside. His hickeys were showing, dark against his pale skin. 

Michael stared shamelessly for a moment before starting the car, turning down the radio so that it was just a barely audible hum. It felt cheesy, but he reached down for Jeremy's hand before he pulled away from the curb. He stared out at the dark night and felt a calm like he'd never really felt before. Jeremy's hand went limp in his after a few minutes, and when he reached a stop sign he looked over to see that Jeremy had fallen fast asleep. Michael smiled softly and attempted to pull his hand away, but he couldn't. Jeremy, in his sleep, tightened his grasp so that Michael would have to struggle to get his hand back. He just grabbed Jeremy tighter, though. His heart fluttered. 

There were no other cars on the road. Eventually, Michael turned into his own driveway, parking but not getting out right away. He breathed deep and even in his sleepy state, he wanted to freeze this picture in his mind. He wanted this memory forever, not matter what the future brought for him and Jeremy. He shut his eyes tight for a second before opening them again, sighing, and tugging his sweaty hand out of Jeremy's and turning off the car. He walked around to the other side and opened the door, his eyes sweeping Jeremy's sleeping form and the gentle rising and falling of his chest in front of him. 

_ I can't wake him up  _ he concluded, and so he slipped his hands under Jeremy's shoulders and his  legs, lifting him bridal style with surprising ease. He kicked the car door shut behind them, carrying Jeremy down the driveway to his house. Jeremy was stirring a little, bringing his hands around Michael's neck for support. 

"You owe me slushies all next week, Mikey." He muttered, his eyes still closed, and Michael couldn't help but smile down at him. At Jeremy Heere. At his fucking boyfriend. 

"I know, Jere." 

He leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. 

"I know."

  
  



End file.
